Keep HSE Strong
Vote YES · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
A state law changed how property taxes are assessed - and it took $45.3 million away from our schools. On November 3, we can protect the teachers, safety staff, and mental health support our students already have.
We didn't ask for this. The state changed the rules.
Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA-1) changed how property taxes are assessed across Indiana. The goal was to lower property taxes - but the way the law did it pulled funding away from schools and cities.
Here's How It Works
#1
School referendum funding is calculated from the net assessed value of homes in the district. SEA-1 lowered those net assessed values. Same rate, less money.
#2
For Hamilton Southeastern Schools, that's a projected $45.3 million loss through 2031 - funding this community already approved at the ballot box in 2023.
#3
The November 3 referendum lets us recover a portion of that loss. Not all of it. A portion.
The same services. The same people. Nothing new.
Outstanding teachers in our classrooms
Referendum funding currently supports about 1 in 5 of our teachers - roughly 245 educators. Without it, HSE would face significantly larger class sizes, and that directly affects how much attention each student gets.
Student and school safety
Our students deserve to feel safe every day. This funding keeps safety staffing in place.
Mental health support
Counseling and behavioral health support for the 20,000 students we serve each day - because students who are struggling can't learn.
The value of your home
Great schools make great communities. Home values in Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern are tied to the quality of our schools. Protecting one protects the other.
No referendum dollars go to buildings, renovations, or athletic facilities
100% is directed to the educational experience of this and future generations of students.
About $3 more per month for a typical home.
A home valued at $400,000 currently pays $421 a year toward the referendum. Under the proposed plan, that becomes about $458 in 2027 - an increase of roughly $37 a year, or $3 a month.
An important piece to understand: had SEA-1 never passed, that same homeowner would have paid $473 in 2027. Even with this referendum, they pay less than they would have. We are recovering part of what the state took, not all of it.
The maximum rate. The ballot language authorizes a maximum rate of $0.36 per $100 of assessed value. That maximum is built with flexibility and is not intended to be used under current property tax law. Instead, the school board sets the actual rate each year through a public budget process, using a stair-step approach - along with a spending plan, which is a new requirement under state law. The rate you see on the ballot is a ceiling, not a bill.
Top-tier results. Bottom-tier state support.
Fishers High School and Hamilton Southeastern High School both rank in the top 5% of high schools in the nation - U.S. News & World Report
Fishers, Indiana was named the #2 Best Place to Live in America - U.S. News & World Report
HSE ranks 370th out of 376 Indiana districts in state dollars per student
Indiana ranks 45th nationally in state support for public education - Network for Public Education
Our schools deliver results that put them among the best in the country while operating with some of the least state support in Indiana. This referendum is how we hold that line.
Want to learn more? Join us at one of our Community Q&A Sessions
Tuesday, September 22
6:00 p.m.
Delaware Township Community Center
Monday, October 26
6:00 p.m.
Hub & Spoke
Frequently Asked Questions...
Didn't we just vote on this in 2023?
You did - and thank you. But SEA-1 began cutting into that approved funding early, before the community ever had a chance to weigh in. This referendum asks voters to protect what they already said yes to.
Is this asking for more money?
It asks voters to approve a higher maximum rate, yes - because SEA-1 shrank the funding base those services depend on. What it funds does not change: the same teachers, the same safety staffing, the same mental health support. No new programs.
Is this repealing the old referendum and replacing it with a new one?
It continues the same services voters approved in 2023, adjusted to offset a cut the state imposed. Same purpose, same priorities.
How do I know the rate won't jump straight to the maximum?
The school board approves the actual rate and an accompanying spending plan every year as part of the public budget process. The spending plan requirement is new under state law, and it means the district has to show publicly how the money is being used.
How big is the referendum fund compared to the rest of the budget?
The referendum fund spends about $2.3 million a month. The general Education Fund spends about $13.9 million a month. The referendum is a small but essential slice - and it's the slice that funds people.
Where can I learn more information about the referendum?
From the official HSE Schools website: https://www.hseschools.org/community/referendum-2026
Get Involved
This passes because neighbors talk to neighbors.
Vote YES on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Questions? Reach out at [email].
Great Kids.
Great Community.
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Paid for by AdvanceHSE. [Laura Cole, Chair and Rachna Greulach, Treasurer] | All Rights Reserved.